Dad and daughter walk 801km in 31 days to raise funds

A dad and daughter with big hearts have walked an incredible 801 kilometres, raising more than $25,000 for the Children’s Cancer Institute. Harper and Ben O’Malley dedicated the month of March to the challenge, turning their regular walks into a powerful mission to support sick kids and their families. On the final day, Tuesday, March 31, they were joined by their Forbes Magpies community and friends for one last short walk. That final lap felt “unbelievable”, Ben said. Harper, just 13 and a student at Forbes High School, was the driving force behind the idea and the choice of charity. “Me and my dad have been walking for a bit and I thought it would be a good idea to walk for charity,” she said. “I chose it because kids deserve to grow up happy and healthy.” Balancing Ben’s work as a shearer and Harper’s school commitments, the pair stuck to their goal, clocking up big kilometres - especially on weekends. There were challenges along the way. A wild storm one Saturday night forced them to fall short of their 90km target, but they made up for it with an incredible 103km effort over more than 15 hours on the final Saturday of the month. Ben, Katie, Sienna, Tyler, Harper and Lyla O’Malley. It wasn’t always easy. Ben lost both weight and toenails during the challenge, but their determination never wavered. “The first couple of weeks were easy, then I got a bit tired, but we still got up and walked,” Harper said. The effort was backed by strong community support, with local businesses including Gunn’s Menswear, The Vandenberg Hotel, Essjay Photography, Isabel’s Place, Loomzy’s Fish ‘N’ Fix and Made of Fridays all getting behind the cause. MCC Chudleigh Dobell also contributed, auctioning donated lambs to raise $7200 at the final sheep sale of March. With the challenge complete, attention now turns to the footy season. Harper is set to take the field with the Under 14s and can’t wait for the season ahead. Donations remain open online for those who would still like to support the cause: go online to https://www.ccia.org.au/fundraisers/benjaminomalley48391/86k-for-a-cure